Eight gay Jersey City couples took part in a gay marriage ceremony in City Hall just after midnight today, the minute New Jersey became the 14th station in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

Mayor Steve Fulop, a gay marriage advocate who officiated the nuptials, said he had been expecting four couples, but four more hopped in front of the council dais to, as one bride put it, "be a part of history."

The crowd of about 100 witnessing the ceremony erupted into an ovation when Fulop declared the eight couples married.

Among the newlyweds are Peter Connel, 48, and David Calle, 47, of Newark Avenue. The couple have been together for 13 years and are "overwhelmed" by the ability to marry legally, they said.

"We didn't think it would be in this lifetime," Connel said.

Following the ceremony there was a brief reception with cake, champagne and an impromptu crowd sing-a-long of the pop classic "Chapel of Love."

The ceremony was possible thanks to a state judge who ruled on Sept. 27 that New Jersey must allow gay couples to marry. Gov. Chris Christie appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court, which is set to make a final ruling in January. In the meantime, the court ruled last Friday, gays can wed.

Most of today's marriages, which took place in the City Council chambers with about 100 family members and friends watching on, are purely ceremonial, for now. In New Jersey, couples have to wait 72 hours after getting a marriage license before they can wed unless they get a judicial waiver.

Many of the couples hope to get that waiver later today and then marry legally. But Fulop said at least one couple, David Gibson and Rich Kiamco, are now legally wed in New Jersey because they married last year in New York and did not need to wait 72 hours to be married again.

Fulop, 36, said he was surprised by the size of the crowd that showed up at midnight tonight.

"It's a beautiful thing. It's really terrific," he said.

Barbara Milton, 54, who writes a column for The Jersey Journal, and Kay Osborn, 65, have been together for 20 years. After today's ceremony, Osborn said she is "ecstatic, overwhelmed, thrilled."

But Milton said theirs is a "tempered" happiness.

"We've got 36 other states where we've got to win equality," she said. "I go to Texas and our marriage is null and void. The battle isn't done."

State Sen. Barbara Buono, the Democratic nominee for governor, was a guest tonight of one of the couples. On the campaign trail, Buono has highlighted her support of gay marriages and Republican Christie's opposition.

Buono told The Jersey Journal she doesn't think gay marriage becoming legal in New Jersey blunts her ability to use the issue in the campaign.